Source: TWIKE press release from 09.03.2023
Almost four years to the day after the prototype was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019 and two years after the start of series development, the creators of the TWIKE 5 are entering the next phase of the project.
The order for wheel carriers, bearings, brake parts, suspension struts and wheels lays the foundations for the completion of the pre-series for the 500 units of the TWIKE 5.
The history of the TWIKE 5 began with the realization of the TWIKE 4, which was designed as a pure prototype and won the Automotive-X-Prize, laying the foundation for the development of the TWIKE 5, which has since been continuously developed, improved and adapted to new requirements.
“After thorough, careful and repeated testing and validation, the chassis development has now reached the point where we can justify the necessary investment,” explains Martin Möscheid, Managing Director of TWIKE GmbH from Rosenthal in Hesse. “We wanted to make sure that all the influences were thoroughly verified and not risk an unnecessary development loop due to recklessness or excessive impatience.”
TWIKE engaged the renowned automotive engineering expert Dr. Axel Pauly for the development. The former Technical Director of the VW development company IAV and responsible for function integration and safety control systems at BMW provided significant support in improving safety and driving dynamics. Pauly focused on optimizing the tricycle with the help of a newly developed camber-active rear axle. The task involved not only the load-bearing parts, but also all the elements that transmit the driving forces, from the drive shafts, bearings and rubber elements to the rims and tires.
The chassis parts that have now been commissioned are partly developed in-house and partly borrowed from mass production. They give the generously motorized three-wheeler with its low centre of gravity the agility and driving stability of a four-wheeled sports car. TWIKE also relies on the support of experienced suppliers and service providers such as A-CONCEPTS, Borbet, Continental and KW automotive.
“Together with our partners, we are approaching the finish line with the TWIKE 5,” explains Möscheid. “We are now hoping for normalized delivery times so that we can start rider testing as early as possible and then issue a series release.”
